New to Cycling

krisjohnson121
krisjohnson121 Posts: 87 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So I have been working out steadily since I joined MFP about 60 days ago. I completed the C25K program, I do strength training 3 times a week and throw in zumba and spin classes for variety. My husband is trying to start exercising as well and we are looking for things to do together. He really likes to bike - so I figured with all my work and spin classes - sure why not. I bought a bike and we went on a ride - 10 minutes in I was DYING! We talked about doing a 75 mile endurance ride together at the end of September - now I am not sure I can do it.

HELP!! Any suggestions for building up my biking endurance?? I know just riding :-) But I need a program - are there programs like the C25K for biking?

Any help or tips are greatly appreciated!!!

Replies

  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    I'm not aware of anything like C25K for bike but you can find all sorts of great training ideas at www.active.com and http://www.beginnertriathlete.com and you might alo want to check out http://www.bikeforums.net/forum.php (they have discussions about practically any biking topic you could imagine)

    I'm surprised that you would have been dying after 10 minutes if you've been spinning. Did the shop set up your bike properly (ie do a fit)? A poor fit contributes to discomfort and reduced mechanical efficiency.

    What type of bike did you buy? If it's a mountain bike with knobby tires you can replace them with a smoother road type tire and experience less rolling resistance.

    It does, really, come down to riding more. Start with shorter rides and work your way up (just like running but you don't need to be as conservative about increasing distances and you can ride every day with little risk of injury)
  • pauljohnsadler
    pauljohnsadler Posts: 16
    Taking a spin class is totally different than riding a bike on the road! I applaud you for taking that step and a 75 mi ride is adventurous. It can be done though. You just need to spend more time in the saddle.
  • TyTy76
    TyTy76 Posts: 1,761 Member
    T.I.T.S

    Time in the saddle.
  • devilwhiterose
    devilwhiterose Posts: 1,157 Member
    I went for a ride last night for the first time in like...5 years.

    I did almost 4 miles and I felt like you beat me with a board. Time cures all! Don't beat yourself up in the beginning, just keep on pedaling.
  • martintanz
    martintanz Posts: 280
    Taking a spin class is totally different than riding a bike on the road! I applaud you for taking that step and a 75 mi ride is adventurous. It can be done though. You just need to spend more time in the saddle.

    Spinning is harder, or at least that was my experience. Before I did spinning, I had trouble climbing hills. After doing some hill routines in spinning class for a few months, I barely noticed the hills I had previously dreaded. Is it possible OP wasn't challenging herself in spinning class?

    Is your bike set up properly? What kind of bike did you get?

    75 miles is possible, but you need to build up to it. 75 miles is 6 to 7 hours in the saddle, depending on how fast you go. I have been doing 2 to 3 hour rides twice a week since April and I don't think I am up to a 6 or 7 hour ride, either physically or mentally. Last year before my weight loss, I could barely do 5 miles before being totally gassed, but I was seriously out of shape last spring. By the end of the summer, I could handle 12 to 15 mile rides (about an hour) a couple of times a week, and even did one 2 hour ride by the end of the summer. So you can progress quickly, but how quickly is up to you. I would suggest you set some intermediate goals and don't sign up for a 6 or 7 hour ride before at least handling 2, 3, 4 and finally5 hours of continuous riding.
  • algebravoodoo
    algebravoodoo Posts: 776 Member
    Yeah, I am asking the same questions as the others. Did you get set up by a pro at a GOOD cycle shop or did you get a Wal Mart bike? If the geometry (frame size, seat position, etc) is off, your ride will suck. Are you using the right kind of bike with the right tires for your riding?

    I'm logging about 50 miles a week in under 3 1/2 hours total. Not super fast but respectable for a granny. :wink: I know by feel if my tires are off on pressure by 10psi because I can feel the added resistance.
  • martintanz
    martintanz Posts: 280
    Yeah, I am asking the same questions as the others. Did you get set up by a pro at a GOOD cycle shop or did you get a Wal Mart bike? If the geometry (frame size, seat position, etc) is off, your ride will suck. Are you using the right kind of bike with the right tires for your riding?

    I'm logging about 50 miles a week in under 3 1/2 hours total. Not super fast but respectable for a granny. :wink: I know by feel if my tires are off on pressure by 10psi because I can feel the added resistance.

    You are much too young to be a granny. ;)
  • algebravoodoo
    algebravoodoo Posts: 776 Member
    Yeah, I am asking the same questions as the others. Did you get set up by a pro at a GOOD cycle shop or did you get a Wal Mart bike? If the geometry (frame size, seat position, etc) is off, your ride will suck. Are you using the right kind of bike with the right tires for your riding?

    I'm logging about 50 miles a week in under 3 1/2 hours total. Not super fast but respectable for a granny. :wink: I know by feel if my tires are off on pressure by 10psi because I can feel the added resistance.

    You are much too young to be a granny. ;)

    Thank you! However, my four grandsons, ages 12years to 5months, make that matter debatable.
  • wendamabelle
    wendamabelle Posts: 25 Member
    Just add a bit more distance on each ride. Don't worry about times. At least that's what worked for me.
    Getting out on my bike after almost 20 years seemed silly to me but now when I discuss it with others they are impressed with the distances I cover on weekends. And I'm only using a fixie. It's very pretty but no gears make hills tough.

    Have fun and enjoy the time with your husband!
  • algebravoodoo
    algebravoodoo Posts: 776 Member
    Just add a bit more distance on each ride. Don't worry about times. At least that's what worked for me.
    Getting out on my bike after almost 20 years seemed silly to me but now when I discuss it with others they are impressed with the distances I cover on weekends. And I'm only using a fixie. It's very pretty but no gears make hills tough.

    Have fun and enjoy the time with your husband!

    You can add distance on a bike super easy.
    And I know some of us are harping on what kind of bike you have, but it is true that the type is not as important if it is a good fit. A fixie is as good as a racing model if you are happy with it. Just know that you will have to work harder if you one kind of bike as opposed to another.
  • martintanz
    martintanz Posts: 280
    Just add a bit more distance on each ride. Don't worry about times. At least that's what worked for me.
    Getting out on my bike after almost 20 years seemed silly to me but now when I discuss it with others they are impressed with the distances I cover on weekends. And I'm only using a fixie. It's very pretty but no gears make hills tough.

    Have fun and enjoy the time with your husband!

    You can add distance on a bike super easy.
    And I know some of us are harping on what kind of bike you have, but it is true that the type is not as important if it is a good fit. A fixie is as good as a racing model if you are happy with it. Just know that you will have to work harder if you one kind of bike as opposed to another.

    Actually the type of bike you ride matters a lot more to a beginner than to an experience cyclist. A strong rider can handle steep hills on a single speed, whereas the newbie needs low gears.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    T.I.T.S

    Time in the saddle.

    This.

    I haven't really ridden since high school, I'm routinely doing 16-24 miles right now on a road bike. You just need to get out and do it. It will hurt, you embrace that pain. You'll come out harder.

    Enjoy! PS - wear biking shorts, and learn your gearing.
  • krisjohnson121
    krisjohnson121 Posts: 87 Member
    Thanks for all the posts - these are extremely helpful and are making me feel better...

    I know that personally I do better in the gym - on the treadmill or in spin class I keep going but out on my own - it is just easier to give up - and that is something that I need to work on (pushing myself and not relying on the instructor or the treadmill). I know i could have kept going - we also ended up on a road with some pretty crucial uphills (not on purpose...) Luckily the ride I am training for I have heard has a slight down hill with a tail wind.

    I did not get the best bike. Since i was new I did not want to make a huge investment in case I did not like it. I got a Schwinn Mountain Bike from Target - but I will try taking it to my husband's bike shop to ensure it is fitted properly because I really was not sure about the seat height etc.

    I know for running you should not increase more than 10% per week -are there guidelines for biking?
  • TyTy76
    TyTy76 Posts: 1,761 Member
    Thanks for all the posts - these are extremely helpful and are making me feel better...

    I know that personally I do better in the gym - on the treadmill or in spin class I keep going but out on my own - it is just easier to give up - and that is something that I need to work on (pushing myself and not relying on the instructor or the treadmill). I know i could have kept going - we also ended up on a road with some pretty crucial uphills (not on purpose...) Luckily the ride I am training for I have heard has a slight down hill with a tail wind.

    I did not get the best bike. Since i was new I did not want to make a huge investment in case I did not like it. I got a Schwinn Mountain Bike from Target - but I will try taking it to my husband's bike shop to ensure it is fitted properly because I really was not sure about the seat height etc.

    I know for running you should not increase more than 10% per week -are there guidelines for biking?

    Bike fitness will come a lot faster. There is a lot less stress on your joints. You will know when too much is too much. There is a muscle around your "sit bone" that you need to build up. That comes with TITS (time in the saddle)
  • algebravoodoo
    algebravoodoo Posts: 776 Member
    Just add a bit more distance on each ride. Don't worry about times. At least that's what worked for me.
    Getting out on my bike after almost 20 years seemed silly to me but now when I discuss it with others they are impressed with the distances I cover on weekends. And I'm only using a fixie. It's very pretty but no gears make hills tough.

    Have fun and enjoy the time with your husband!

    You can add distance on a bike super easy.
    And I know some of us are harping on what kind of bike you have, but it is true that the type is not as important if it is a good fit. A fixie is as good as a racing model if you are happy with it. Just know that you will have to work harder if you one kind of bike as opposed to another.

    Actually the type of bike you ride matters a lot more to a beginner than to an experience cyclist. A strong rider can handle steep hills on a single speed, whereas the newbie needs low gears.

    That's exactly what I'm talking about. You and I know that before we even set out for the ride and adjust things accordingly. We plan our rides. I'll even choose a different bike depending on the terrain and weather conditions. A newbie does not necessarily know to even think about these things unless he or she has done some real research before heading out.

    A newbie would likely either not even approach the hill or walk the bike up... or perhaps do like I did as a noob and bust hiney getting up on that single gear, thereby removing any possibility of another ride in the next week. I had no clue why those fancy bikes had so many round things near the pedals, much less on the back wheel. Heck, I thought I was big league when I finally got a bike that didn't have a banana seat. :laugh: (I had never heard of the Tour de France. Bikes were toys and I had never seen an adult on one and I got ridiculed for riding mine once I was old enough for a driver license.)

    Remember, too, steep is relative. If said newbie lives in Colorado Rockies area, for example, steep takes on a whole new meaning than if said newbie lived near me here in the Mississippi Delta. (I have to go to the next two counties east to find a route where there is more than 200 feet of elevation change over a 30 mile route.)

    Now if the newbie had a friend that was an experienced cyclist...
  • algebravoodoo
    algebravoodoo Posts: 776 Member
    Thanks for all the posts - these are extremely helpful and are making me feel better...

    I know that personally I do better in the gym - on the treadmill or in spin class I keep going but out on my own - it is just easier to give up - and that is something that I need to work on (pushing myself and not relying on the instructor or the treadmill). I know i could have kept going - we also ended up on a road with some pretty crucial uphills (not on purpose...) Luckily the ride I am training for I have heard has a slight down hill with a tail wind.

    I did not get the best bike. Since i was new I did not want to make a huge investment in case I did not like it. I got a Schwinn Mountain Bike from Target - but I will try taking it to my husband's bike shop to ensure it is fitted properly because I really was not sure about the seat height etc.

    I know for running you should not increase more than 10% per week -are there guidelines for biking?

    Bike fitness will come a lot faster. There is a lot less stress on your joints. You will know when too much is too much. There is a muscle around your "sit bone" that you need to build up. That comes with TITS (time in the saddle)

    This is quite true!!
  • martintanz
    martintanz Posts: 280


    I did not get the best bike. Since i was new I did not want to make a huge investment in case I did not like it. I got a Schwinn Mountain Bike from Target - but I will try taking it to my husband's bike shop to ensure it is fitted properly because I really was not sure about the seat height etc.


    Big mistake. IMO, a department store "mountain bike" is a terrible choice for endurance road rides. :ohwell: If you are committed to keeping it for a season or two, you will need to make the best of it, probably need to make your bike more road worthy. In addition to fit, have the bike shop check the wheels, brakes, cranks, shifters and derailleurs. And, consider getting rid of the tires that came with the bike and putting on a lighter weight smooth tread street tire. Lots of brands to choose from. I like the Panaracer Urban Max or Panaracer Ribmo, but frankly, any decent street tire from the bike shop that fits your rims should ride much better on the street than the knobbies that came with the bike.

    Ironically, all this will eat up most of the savings you netted by buying from Target, but if you want to enjoy your rides, you should consider doing it.

    Question for OP. How do you know your ride will have a tailwind?
  • krisjohnson121
    krisjohnson121 Posts: 87 Member
    The ride was suggested to me by a friend. He has done this ride for several years and says that this has consistently been the case...
  • TyTy76
    TyTy76 Posts: 1,761 Member
    The ride was suggested to me by a friend. He has done this ride for several years and says that this has consistently been the case...

    Please don't rely on a tailwind.

    If you do, you will have headwinds, both ways.
  • cwsikes
    cwsikes Posts: 86
    The ride was suggested to me by a friend. He has done this ride for several years and says that this has consistently been the case...

    Please don't rely on a tailwind.

    If you do, you will have headwinds, both ways.

    Just in general, unless you are going point to point, you are pretty much guaranteed to have a headwind. Most rides go in some kind of circular shape so if you pick up a tailwind, eventually you will turn into a headwind. Even worse, you ride into a headwind forever and by the time you should be turning into a tailwind, it's no where to be found :(

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